Legio Astorum
Legion during the Horus Heresy]] during the Siege of Vraks]] Imperial Guard armoured battlegroup]] The Legio Astorum (Warp Runners) are a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica, one of the military arms of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Legio Astorum is an ancient and honoured Legion based upon the Forge World of Lucius, located in the Segmentum Obscurus. This Titan Legion is suspected to have been founded before the Age of the Imperium, during the Age of Strife. Legion History The Warp Runners fought throughout the Great Crusade and still retain a number of Titans blessed by the Emperor of Mankind himself. Later, the Legion fought throughout the darkest days of the Horus Heresy, and participated in numerous engagements including the Battle of Tallarn. Legend has it that a battlegroup of Legio Astorum Titans was present at the defence of the Emperor's Palace during the Battle of Terra and ever since those dark days of the Great Betrayal, the Warp Runners have continued to faithfully serve the Emperor and His Imperium. Notable Campaigns *'Kamenka Troika Campaign (Unknown Date.M31)' - Sometime during the middle years of the Great Crusade, the Legio Astorum fought alongside the Thousand Sons Legion and a Lifehost of Pan Pacific Eugenians drawn from the Imperial Army. The Emperor had issued the writs of war commanding this combined Imperial task force to undertake the difficult task of driving the savage Greenskin menace from the three satellite planets (collectively known as the Kamenka Troika) of the world of Kamenka Ulizarna -- a world originally claimed by the Mechanicum of Mars. The savagery of that war, the slaughter and relentless, grinding attrition had left tens of thousands dead in its wake. Imperial forces were finally victorious after two years of fighting and earned a score of honours for their war banners. Victory had been won, but the cost had been high with the loss of nearly an entire Warp Runners' detachment of Titans. With the successful conclusion of the campaign the Thousand Sons honoured the Legio Astorum by recovering Canis Vertex, the last Warp Runners Titan to fall. They repaired and restored the great war machine and then had it transported to their homeworld of Prospero where it was mounted upon the pyramid of the Legion's Pyrae Cult of Sorcerers. *'Battle of Tallarn (Unknown Date.M31)' - The Legio Astorum is known to have fought in various engagements during the Horus Heresy, including the famed Battle of Tallarn. During the Heresy in the early 31st Millennium, the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion -- intending to destroy all potential resistance before landing -- virus-bombed the world of Tallarn, rendering it an inhospitable desert. Only then did the Chaos Space Marines land. Tallarn's few survivors emerged from their underground bunkers to stop the Iron Warriors' invasion. Soon, reinforcements from both sides arrived, including the Legio Astorum Titan Legion. It soon became painfully clear to the Imperial forces the futility of fighting over a destroyed planet, but by then there was no turning back. Though it was not known at the time, the Traitor Legion was motivated to attack the world beyond their mere appetite for destruction as Tallarn was the site of a hidden and potentially powerful Chaos artefact. The poisoned environment of the world made it impossible for infantry troops to operate outside of their protective shelters, and so the only available option was to make use of armoured tank warfare and the support of the Titan war machines of the Legio Astorum. The Warp Runners fought their traitorous kin from the infamous Legio Mortis Traitor Titan Legion, while the largest tank battle in human history erupted on the surface of Tallarn, involving some 10 million armoured vehicles. By the end of this brutal conflict, the Iron Warriors were defeated, and the wreckage of over a million tanks littered the sands. *'Unrecorded Engagements (Unknown Date.M31)' - The Legio Astorum Titan Legion is also known to have taken part in other numerous unrecorded engagements with the forces of the Warmaster Horus during the Heresy. The two most notable of these engagements involved the destruction of a combined Chaos battleforce comprised of Emperor's Children Chaos Space Marines and Titans from the rebel Tiger Eyes Traitor Titan Legion. *'Struggle for Nycron (Unknown Date.M41)' - This was a little known engagement that the Legio Astorum was credited for taking part in. *'Siege of Vraks (813-830.M41)' - During the infamous Siege of Vraks, the Legio Astorum Titan battlegroup provided the Imperial 88th Siege Army with its heaviest armour and firepower. Deploying 22 Titans of the ''Reaver'' and ''Warhound'' classes, the commitment of this battlegroup in support of the 12th Line Korps was the decisive factor in breaking through the inner defence lines during the Kagori offensive on Vraks Prime. The High Princeps Rand Drauca and the Warp Runners continued to support the campaign on Vraks on numerous occasions, and were heavily engaged again when the Red Scorpions Chapter captured the breach in the curtain wall, matching weapons and armour with the Traitor Titans of the ''Legio Vulcanum'' I. The exact numbers of enemy Titans was not identified, although post-battle reports claim 14 enemy ''Warhound''-class Titans and ''Reaver''-class Titans were destroyed during the campaign. As such, the Legio Vulcanum paid a heavy price for its involvement, and the Legio Astorum can claim a famous victory over their ancient enemy. *'13th Black Crusade (999.M41)' - When the Forces of Chaos assaulted the world of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, the Legio Astorum was one of the Loyalist Titan Legions of the Collegia Titanica to help in the defense of that beleaguered Imperial Fortress World. The Warp Runners fought in multiple campaigns during this Black Crusade, including: **'Amistel Majoris' - The world of Amistel Majoris (located in the Agripinaa Sector was besieged by Plague Marines of the infamous Death Guard Traitor Legion. Despite the planet being reduced to a mass of putrefying corpses, the Imperial Guard's 83rd Regiment of the Drookian Fen Guard helped bolster Imperial forces with a masterful defensive strategy which kept the planet in Imperial hands until the arrival of additional Imperial forces in the form of the Howling Griffons Space Marine Chapter and the Titans of the Legio Astorum. **'Demios Primary' - When the Skitarii forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus' Forge World of Demios Primary were scattered by the combined Chaotic forces of the Black Legion and the Extinction Angels, it was the Imperial defenders of the Legio Astorum and the Space Marines of the Black Templars Chapter which liberated the world's forges. Notable Titans *''Canis Vertex'' - A ''Warlord''-class Titan that fought during the Great Crusade alongside the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion in the Kamenka Troika Campaign. The Canis Vertex was the last Titan of the Legio Astorum to fall. For their service, the Thousands Sons honoured the Warp Runners by recovering and restoring the Canis Vertex. They then had the Titan transported to their homeworld of Prospero and mounted upon the pyramid of the Pyrae Cult of the Legion's sorcerers. Nearly a century later, the Canis Vertex would rise once more, through magical means used by the Thousands Sons sorcerers, to protect their homeworld from the ravaging Space Wolves Legion during the Burning of Prospero. *''Fortunata Imperiatrix'' - ''Reaver''-class Titan that fought during the Horus Heresy at the Battle of Tallarn. *''Inviglia Alpha'' - Reaver-class Titan, first to fall to the guns of the Legio Vulcanum Traitor Titan Legion during the Siege of Vraks. Standing defiantly, the blasted and scorched war machine stood like a silent sentinel for the duration of the war. *''Spirit of Imperial Victory'' - A Titan of unknown class that fought during the Horus Heresy at the Battle of Tallarn. Notable Personnel *'Rand Drauca' - Ancient and venerable High Princeps of the Reaver-class Titan Praetorian, during the Siege of Vraks. He led the Legio Astorum battlegroup that fought during the Siege of Vraks, which was composed of 10 ''Reaver''-class and 12 ''Warhound''-class Titans. *'Kask' - First Princeps of the Titan Fortunata Imperiatrix during the Battle of Tallarn. *'Talon' - Princeps of the Legion with over 100 confirmed kills during the Battle of Tallarn. *'Silberman' - Princeps of the Legion who was shot and killed by a sniper during the Battle of Tallarn. *'Marnoc' (Successor of Princeps Silberman) - Princeps of the Legion during the Battle of Tallarn. *'Toal' - Moderatus of the Legion during the Battle of Tallarn. *'Hazan' - Moderatus of the Legion during the Battle of Tallarn. *'Warden' - Moderatus of the Legion during the Batle of Tallarn. *'Kurtz' - Warhound-class Titan Princeps during the Battle of Tallarn. Legion Appearance Legion Colours The colours of this Titan Legion are primarily blue with gold. The old colour scheme, the Titans were blue with orange flame patterns. Legion Badge The symbol of the Legio Astorum (Warp Runners) is a black eclipse symbol on a field of blue. Sources *''A Thousand Sons'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill *''Codex: Eye of Terror'' (3rd Edition) *''Codex: Titanicus'' (1988), pp. 4, 6-7, 9-10, 14, 21, 29, 32, 34, 49 *''Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two,'' pp. 42-43, 46-48, 52-53, 60, 112-113, 118, 120-123 *''Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three,'' pp. 126, 161 Gallery Legio Astorum Siege of Vraks.jpg|''Legio Astorum'' ''Reaver''-class Titans during the Siege of Vraks Legio Astorum_Reaver Battlegroup_Vraks.jpg|''Legio Astorum'' ''Reaver''-class Titan Battlegroup that fought during the Siege of Vraks Mars-Pattern Warhound_Warp Runners.jpg|''Legio Astorum'' Mars Pattern ''Warhound''-class Titan Imperial_Warhound_Titans.jpg|''Legio Astorum'' Mars Pattern ''Warhound''-class Titan WarpRunner_Warhound1.jpg|''Legio Astorum'' ''Warhound''-class Titan, original colour scheme Legio Astorum Reaver.JPG|''Legio Astorum'' ''Reaver''-class Titan, original colour scheme Category:L Category:Adeptus Mechanicus Category:Collegia Titanica Category:Imperium